Sharon Ashton, the university’s vice president for public relations, sent an email Friday to students, faculty and staff informing them of the decision.

“Earlier this month, the 1st District Court of Appeal ruled that UNF can’t prohibit students from keeping securely encased guns in cars parked (on) our campus and we have decided not to appeal that decision,’’ Ashton wrote. “Students still cannot carry a gun onto or on our campus, but can now legally keep a gun securely encased in their vehicle parked at UNF.”

The appeals court ruled Dec. 10 in favor of a UNF student and the group Florida Carry Inc., which challenged the policy.

Officials with UF and USF did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Brittany Davis, a spokesman for the Florida Board of Governors, said that the State University System has not distributed the ruling to the universities. But Davis noted that not all universities have gun policies similar to the UNF policy.

Florida law currently makes it illegal to possess or exhibit guns at schools and universities and permits school districts to prohibit guns from being stored in cars. The court rejected arguments by UNF attorneys that universities, like school districts, could ban guns in cars. . . .